Hello Julie
Southampton does not have a cathedral, although it has City status.
A Cathedral is not a requirement to make a town into a city.
Guildford has a Cathedral but is not a city.

Colyn.

> Hi there
>
> I'm doing a local history assignment on the Religious Census of 1851 and
am
> looking at the religious establishments listed in there. Anyway this got
me
> thinking about Southampton - it's been a while since I've really looked
the
> place - but I can't remember if there is or was actually a Cathedral in
the
> City. I remember that that is usually the reason a City is a City, but
> searching on the internet, I can't find a reference to a Southampton
Cathedral,
> although I have tried St Mary's as the only "big church" name I can
remember. Am
> I missing an obvious or is there no Cathedral and Southampton got
> City-status because of its port?
>
> Any help would be appreciated
>
> Many thanks
>
>
>
> Julie Williamson
> Stoke-on-Trent